---
title: "How to: Find ControlTemplate-Generated Elements"
ms.date: "03/30/2017"
dev_langs: 
  - "csharp"
  - "vb"
helpviewer_keywords: 
  - "ControlTemplates [WPF], finding elements"
  - "finding ControlTemplate elements [WPF]"
ms.assetid: d7b25447-ceff-4bb4-9be5-fd7c40ef00af
---
# How to: Find ControlTemplate-Generated Elements
This example shows how to find elements that are generated by a <xref:System.Windows.Controls.ControlTemplate>.  
  
## Example  
 The following example shows a style that creates a simple <xref:System.Windows.Controls.ControlTemplate> for the <xref:System.Windows.Controls.Button> class:  
  
 [!code-xaml[FindGeneratedItems#CT](~/samples/snippets/csharp/VS_Snippets_Wpf/FindGeneratedItems/CSharp/Window1.xaml#ct)]  
  
 To find an element within the template after the template has been applied, you can call the <xref:System.Windows.FrameworkTemplate.FindName%2A> method of the <xref:System.Windows.Controls.Control.Template%2A>. The following example creates a message box that shows the actual width value of the <xref:System.Windows.Controls.Grid> within the control template:  
  
 [!code-csharp[FindGeneratedItems#CTFindElement](~/samples/snippets/csharp/VS_Snippets_Wpf/FindGeneratedItems/CSharp/Window1.xaml.cs#ctfindelement)]
 [!code-vb[FindGeneratedItems#CTFindElement](~/samples/snippets/visualbasic/VS_Snippets_Wpf/FindGeneratedItems/VisualBasic/Window1.xaml.vb#ctfindelement)]  
  
## See also

- [Find DataTemplate-Generated Elements](../data/how-to-find-datatemplate-generated-elements.md)
- [Styling and Templating](styles-templates-overview.md)
- [WPF XAML Namescopes](../advanced/wpf-xaml-namescopes.md)
- [Trees in WPF](../advanced/trees-in-wpf.md)